Sun City North Golf Course has rolled out an emerald carpet that’s turned surrounding courses green with envy. After a major cosmetic project teed off last year, the 18-hole stretch now offers some of the best greens in town.

North Golf Course Superintendent Carlos Ulloa was hired in July 2010 to rehabilitate the course’s neglected putting greens. “When I got here a lot of the greens were dirt,” he recalled. “It was unacceptable.”

Ulloa applied his 16 years of experience in golf course keeping to the nearly yearlong undertaking that restored North Course’s lackluster greens and fairways. “I guess the previous superintendent was just watering the greens and using the cheapest fertilizer,” he said.

Local golfers say North Golf Course of Sun City has some of the best putting greens in the area.

Revitalization of the greens began by forming a fertilizer regiment to provide the nutrient deficient soil with vital elements such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. A growth regulator was used to kill weeds and cover bald spots within the course. As grass began to sprout, it was vertically mowed to allow air, water and fertilizer to seep into the soil. A light top dressing of fine grain sand was added to firm the greens.

It took Ulloa almost eight months to cultivate grass healthy enough to withstand weather conditions and customer traffic. He grew Bent/Poa for the greens, and Bermuda for the fairways.

“Carlos really turned the greens around,” said North Golf Course General Manager Jim Spooner. “They were in terrible shape.”

A wholesome green is key to a good round of golf, as well as a necessity for a golf club’s success. “Revitalizing the greens actually gained us new business,” said Spooner. “Our revenue has picked up because of it.”

Superintendent of North Golf Course, Carlos Ulloa, stands outside of his office where he keepsthe tools and machinery used to maintain the grounds.

In order to keep the golf balls rolling, Ulloa follows a routine to prevent spongy grass and ensure smooth putting greens. He fertilizes every two weeks, and twice a year he aerates or ‘punches the greens’ using a machine to poke holes into the ground and remove old soil. He sprays fungicide onto the grass regularly to combat diseases, and waters the greens every evening for 15 minutes.

“As long as your greens are good, customers will come because that is your bread and butter,” said Ulloa. He is currently earning a certificate in Turf Management at Mt. San Jacinto Community College.